Lock for portable articles.



AVG. TERRILL. LOOK FOR PORTABLE ARTICLES. IXPPLIO'ATION FILED APR. 21, 1913.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

7 MM 6. @Zvuw PATENT @FFTCE.

WTED STATES ARTHUR c. 'rnimr'tn, or

GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA.

00K FOE POBTAlBLE ARTICLES.

Epecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 4:, 1 914.

Application filed April 21, 1913. Serial No. 762,731.

useful Lock for Portable Articles, of'which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means particularly adapted for locking electric lamp bulbs,

to prevent their removal by unauthorized persons, the invention being, however, capavide a device for the stated purpose which will be simple and cheap in construction, and which can be applied to the ordinary lamp socket with little change or expense.

Another object of the invention is to provide a locking device which" will present no unsightly or light obstructing parts around the lamp bulb.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter. i g

The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of my invention, and referring thereto:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a lamp and socket provided with my improved bulb lock, the socket being shown partly in sec tion. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the locking device, removed from the socket. Fig. dis a horizontal section, showing another form of the lock. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the locking screw member. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of another form of the look ing screw member. Fig. 6 is a vertical section of a shade holder, adapted for use as a part of the lock. Fig. 7 .is a side elevation of a modified form of key for operating the locking device.

1 designates a lamp bulb which is provided with the usual screw threaded base 2 for screwing into the socket indicated at 3. These parts are of the usual construction and in applying my invention thereto, it is only necessary to drill a hole indlcated at 4 through the socket, no other change being made in the socket and the drilling of this hole requiring no special skill and, no disassembling of the socket.

The lock comprises a band or ring (5 adapt ed to extend around the socket and a screw member 7 scrcwii'ig in said ring and adapted to extend through said hole 4 in the wall of the socket, into engagement with the screw member 7 having a key receiving portion 8 for receiving a suitable key whereby said screw member may be screwed into or out o'l'- position to engage the screw threaded base 2. norder to prevent interference with the in-' sulation of the parts of the socket by inscrtion of this screw threaded member 7 said member 7 may be made wholly of insulation or may be provided with an. insulating screw threaded portion 7 oi suitable material such as fiber, hard rubber, lava or bakelite. Memher 7 may have a bit 7 to cut and more effectively engage the lamp bulb base.

The key receiving member 8 is preferably formed as a frusto conical member adapted to extend and fit within a correspondingly formed recess 12 in a key member 13 so that by placing said key member 13 on the memenable the screw member 7 to be rotated by operation of the key 13 to clamp or release the locking device. The key member 13 may be of insulating material, as shown in Fig. 7. To prevent unlocking of the device by means of pipe pliers or a similar tool, I profor to provide a guard for the key securing member 8, in the form of a tubular wall or shield 9, surrounding the member 8 and spaced therefrom. suflicicntly to enable insertion of the key member 13, but guarding the member 8 from contact with such a tool.

As shown in Fig. 3, the construction of above described, the key receiving member 17 being provided with a recess 18 adapted to receive a frusto conical member 19 on the key .20. In this case the member 17 may be inclosed within a housing 21 so as to prevent rotation of the member 17 by any instruments such as pincers adapted to engage with the outside thereof. The hole 4 is in an insulating bushing 5 surrounding the screw member 17, and an insulating hand or strip 10 is provided between the locking ring 6 and the socket 3. In order to enable the key to unlock the clamp screw member 7 or 17, it is necessarythat the key receiving threaded base 2 of the lamp bulb, this screw her 8, the friction between the two parts will the key device may be reversed from that.

this case made sufficiently large to receive I device.

portion should accurately fit thecorresponding'portio-n' of the key, and in practice the clamp screw will be screwed up sufficiently tight in the locking operation to prevent its being withdrawn by hand, so that 1t re quires the use of a proper key to unlock the The clamp or locking ring may conveniently form part of the shade holder for the lamp. Thus, as shown in' Fig. 6 the ring 15 carrying the shade holder ring 22 is provided with screw threaded openings 23' to receive the clamp screw for the locking device above descri ed, the screw threaded portions of the ring 15 overlapping sinii- 'larly to the end portions of the ring 6 in Fig. 2. The ring 15 is applied over the socket of the lamp and clamped in position by the screw 7 which serves both as a means for attachment oftheshade holder and as a locking device for the bulb, the socket for the lamp being perforated as above described to enable the; said screw to engage 1glirectly with the screw threaded base of the ulb. Instead of making the guard as a fixed member on the band'the same may be made rotatably mounted on the key receiving member, as shown in Fig. 5 wherein the guard 25 is formed as a cylindrical member surrounding the tapered key receiving member 7, and having an internal flange 26 extending within an annular groove 27 in said key receiving. member'ito retain the guard in osition while permitting'rotation thereof. ith this construction any tool,

such as pliers, ap lied to the device in attempting to turn t e same; will engage with this rotatable guard and will turn the guard without turning the locking device. The device is also applicable to locking other articles besides lamp bulbs, for example,

bicycles and any other portable articles which are to be guarded against theft. I VVhatIclaim 1s:

1. A locking device for lamp sockets, comprising a locking member having a frusto conical key. receiving portion of circular cross section to receive and fit a frusto conical key.

2. In combination. with a lamp socket, a member affixed thereto, and a locking member screwing into the aforesaid member and I having a pointed end adapted to engage the lamp base to secure the lamp base in the socket, said locking member having a frusto-conical key receiving portion of circular cross section to receive and fit a frusto-conical key.

3. A locking device forlamp sockets, com- .)risin a lockin member havin a frusto conical key receiving portion, of circular cross section, to receive and fit a frustoconical key and a circular guard flange surrounding said key receiving portion.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 12th day of April 191 ARTHUR -C. TERRILL. In presence of- ARTHUR P. Kmerrr,

MARTHA M. LANGE.

1 Copies otjhis patent may be obtained for flvecents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

. Washington, D. G. 

